Ski Blog

If you’re looking to kill a few calories but are unwilling to sign your soul away for an unused year at your local jazzy gym, why not consider the outdoor life and some truly awesome winter sports to get in shape the fun way. Of course the temptation of all that heavenly indulgent mountain food on a ski or snowboarding holiday (Tartiflette, Raclette, Fondue..) might have you concerned about piling it on, but fear not as food = fuel and that’s exactly what you’ll be burning tonnes of each day spent on the slopes.

Snowsports are an excellent form of cardio as well as a great way to tone and strengthen leg, core and arm muscles. Both skiing and snowboarding are particularly good for strengthening the ankles, lower legs, quadriceps and glutes, as you engage these muscles to control your board or skis. Both activities require good balance, which work your core muscles, pulling in your abs and helping to align your spine. As you balance, you use your arm muscles to help steady yourself, working to firm them up, particularly in the upper arms and shoulders.

When your muscles are strong, the body works harder to use them, therefore burning more calories. This, plus being in a cold environment (where your body burns calories just to keep warm) is great news for your metabolism! On top of all these great health benefits, skiing and boarding also release adrenaline and endorphins which lift your mood and make you feel more alert, awake and happy.

So how many calories does skiing / snowboarding burn?

Skiing or boarding for 6 hours can burn a whopping 2000 - 3000 calories, depending on your age, weight and height. With that in mind, it may take a lot less time than you think just to burn off that mulled wine and 3 Wiener Schnitzels you had for lunch…

Here are a few examples of some popular, hearty ski foods and drinks with an estimate of how long it takes to burn off each one (each food portion is based on a 300g serving).

Food / Drink

Approx. Calories

Approx. amount of Skiing / Boarding it takes to burn it off

Tartiflette

550

1hr 18mins

Fondue

793

1hr 54mins

Apfelstrudel with Custard

548

1hr 18mins

Käsespätzle

885

2hr 6mins

Germknödel

458

1hr 6mins

Raclette

1000

2hrs 24mins

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Cheese

700

1hr 42mins

Goulash Soup with Bread

468

1hr 6mins

Tiroler Gröstl

758

1hr 48mins

Wiener Schnitzel

750

1hr 48mins

1 Nutella Crepe

579

1hr 24mins

3 Glasses of Mulled Wine

820

2hrs

3 Pints of Beer

546

1hr 18mins

1 Mug of Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows and Whipped Cream

321

48mins

Health Tips for Skiing & Snowboarding

The amount of calories burned while out on the slopes are immense and give you reason to feel less guilty about what you consume après ski. A day in the mountains can be exhausting and you will find yourself needing to consume more food in order to feel energised. If you want to know about the best foods to eat in order to keep you powering through, we’ve created a little guide below.

Breakfast – Breakfast is the most important meal and if you want to set yourself up for a day of skiing / boarding then don’t skip it. Eating in the morning will kickstart your metabolism and give your body the fuel it needs to get through those first few runs. A protein heavy breakfast featuring plenty of salmon, ham or eggs is ideal, as it will keep you full for longer. Throw in some carbs, such as bread or potatoes, and your energy levels will be all set to go.

Mid-morning snack – Top up your energy levels mid-morning with a granola bar, protein bar or flapjack. It’s light enough to digest while still skiing, plus it should give you that little extra boost. Remember to keep hydrated too and to drink as much water or fruit juice as you can.

Lunch – Lunch is a great time to rebuild your energy. Think carbs and go for a baked potato, pasta, or a whole whole-wheat sandwich. Soups and salads are a great option too as they are packed full of healthy vegetables. Avoid too much fried, greasy food as this will sap your energy levels and leave you feeling groggy. Before hitting up the piste again, try and allow 1 hour to digest your food. If you try and get skiing again too early you risk getting stomach ache and even feeling a little dizzy – not good when navigating slightly more complex runs!

Mid-afternoon snack – If you feel tired again mid-afternoon, grab another granola bar, protein bar or flapjack. Fruit is another great, light option too to help keep you going until the evening.

Dinner – By the end of the day, your muscles will be tired and will need some good food to help them recover. Eat plenty of protein again – cheese, chicken, red meat – and some more carbs – bread, pasta, potatoes – to restore your energy levels.

If you love snow days, quiet pistes and short lift queues, then January is the ideal month for you. Along with off season ski deals and peaceful slopes, January is the perfect month to go to the mountains for any avid skier or snowboarder.

Once Christmas and New Year is over and children go back to school, you’ll find skiing in January one of the quietest points of the season. As companies aim to fill as much accommodation as possible, you will find cheap deals and offers for this time of year.

Conditions are normally excellent at this time of year as January tends to be the coldest month of winter, plus one of the snowiest. Many resorts will still be building up their snow bases, but with the low temperatures it is one of the most snow sure points of winter. Here is an overview of the snow last season:

Where to get the best ski deals

Whether you book last minute or in advance you will always find good deals for January. For an overview of the cheapest deals available, take a look at our cheap ski holidays page where you can view the lowest price for each departure date in January, including Friday departures and short breaks.

Our favourite cheap January deals

Self-catering Apartments

Cassiopee Apartments in La Plagne, France. From £199 pp based on 3 people sharing on 3rd and 10th January

Located in the top village in La Plagne, Belle Plagne, these apartments are in the heart of the village and surrounded by the shops, restaurants and bars. It’s a perfect location to get out skiing quickly where you can either join the bubble in Belle Plagne to take you up the Roche de Mio, or the slopes are less than 50 m away where you can ski down to Bellecote to join the chairlifts.

Catered Chalet

Chalet Natalia II in Meribel Mottaret, FranceFrom £417 pp based on 2 people sharing on 3rd January

Chalet Natalia 2 is also great for getting out on to the mountain quick as it is just 100m away from the slopes. Meribel Mottaret is located just above Meribel so you can enjoy the higher mountain views and avoid the lifts in the centre of Meribel.

Half Board Hotel

Hotel Aiguille Rouge in Les Arcs, FranceFrom £449 pp based on 3 people sharing on 3rd January

Conveniently placed in ski in – ski out accommodation, this hotel has easy access to lifts and the ski area. Les Arcs has skiing suitable for all abilities, from the blue runs surrounding the Arc 2000 village to the variety of long blues and reds across the resort. Advanced skiers can enjoy the black pistes from Aiguille Rouge summit or take advantage of the extra 225km of skiing in neighbouring La Plagne.

When choosing the next skiing trip our mind often wonders to those extraordinary bucket list destinations. There are 97 countries across the world that offer skiing and snowboarding. With ski resorts in the northern and southern hemisphere it is possible to ski throughout the year – it’s always snowing somewhere! With so many possibilities on offer there many fantastic and unique experiences to enjoy in the mountains. Here are our top 5 once in a lifetime ski experiences to get your imagination running wild.

5. Heli Skiing in Alaska

For incredible alpine scenery and breath taking untouched landscapes, there is nothing that rivals a heli-ski adventure in Alaska. The Alaska ranges have been made famous by extreme ski and snowboard films – remember those opening scenes in Art of Flight? This was Alaska's Tordrillo mountain range.

Heli skiing and snowboarding in Alaska is the ultimate freeriding adventure; the varied terrain and epic snowfall will guarantee that adrenaline rush you’ve been craving for. The last frontier is so vast you will feel like the first person discovering a new mountain. There are a large amount of heli ski operators across the Alaskan ranges that run singles days as well as multiple day trips.

Alaska Heli ski runs are long, so you will get lots of skiing mileage during your trip, much more than other ranges in North America. Resorts in Alaska receive huge amounts of snow, with the highest parts of the mountains averaging 20-25m per season

4. Ultimate bragging rights in the 3 Valleys

Can you ski the 10 main resorts of the largest ski area in the world in one day? The answer is yes, and it’s an excellent day out that gets you to all the corners of this massive ski area. What better way to brag to your friends, than saying you’ve skied the 600km of the largest linked ski area in the world, Les Trois Vallées.

3. Magical landscapes in Finland

Skiing in Finland is unlike any other Alpine ski holiday. If you want to ski in breath taking, peaceful scenery surrounded by ice-sculpted forests and frozen lakes, coupled with uncrowded pistes and resorts, a ski holiday to Finland offers you a very refreshing alternative.

Skiing in Finland is varied, with a variety of runs suited for all abilities, but the ski areas are smaller than what we are used to in the Alps and ideally suited to beginners and intermediates. One of the fantastic reasons to come to ski in Finland is to experience one of the many unique activities at your fingertips. Enjoy meeting the animals and learning about their way of life on either the Reindeer safaris or the Husky dog sledding trips or for adrenaline junkies, you can get your pulse racing on one of the exhilarating snowmobile adventures and a magical visit to Santa is an absolute must for the whole family.

If you are very lucky you may even catch one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world, the Northern Lights. Head away from the town and bright lights and you should be able to see the lights at certain times throughout winter.

2. Epic Luxury in Val d’Isere

Everyone deserves a spot of luxury in their lives, which is why one must experience the ultimate luxury ski holiday in a stunning chocolate box chalet in one of the finest resorts in the world, Val d’Isere.

Well-stocked wine cellars, gourmet cuisine, private cinemas, chauffeurs, outdoor hot-tubs, a roaring log fire... luxury chalets are all about being pampered to the max. Good food is an essential part of a luxury ski holiday. The talented chefs are experienced and creative artists, producing modern and traditional cuisine to tantalize your taste buds. Everything in the luxury ski chalets are designed to make you feel relaxed, pampered and special.

Val d'Isere offers one of the world's best ski areas, the Espace Killy, along with accommodation for everyone and anyone. If you are looking for a luxury private chalet then look no further than Chalet Lafitenia, run by Val d'Isere's most exclusive chalet operator and offering the standards of accommodation, food and service that you would expect from a luxury chalet in a world class resort.

1. Riding powder in Niseko

Japan is home to the powder your dreams are made of. You may find it surprising that ski resorts in Japan get some of the deepest snow in the world. Located in the northern island Hokkaido in the Abuta district, Niseko is one of the most famous ski resorts in Japan. With an average of 11m of snow fall a year it is regarded as one of the snowiest ski resorts in the world. Niseko is made up of five interlinked areas, Annapuri, Higashiyama (Village), Hirafu, Hanazono & Moiwa. Hirafu is the main resort where you will find the majority of the town and accommodation.

The terrain at Niseko is varied; the main ski area offers great ‘ski-what-you-can-see’ terrain with easy to access to fun off piste between the main ski runs. The legendary tree runs are in the strawberry fields and Miharashi with steep runs at the super alpen course and under the Kogen gondola.

I was lucky enough to be in Niseko for a few months of the 2013-14 season and can guarantee that nothing will compare after a trip to this ski mecca. The trip does require a 13 hour flight to Tokoyo, followed by a domestic flight to Sapporo and then a 2-3 hour coach transfer straight to the resort, but once you’ve had that first day in fresh, waist deep champagne powder you will forget all about that journey to this dream destination.

There may be a ton of snowfall in Niseko but bad weather doesn’t have to mean bad visibility with the bounty of tree runs and off piste forests to ski through. If you are lucky enough to get a clear day on the hill then you can marvel at the stunning view of Mount Yotei and views of the ocean if you get high enough. If you live for powder days and fanaticise about white snowscapes that your favourite skiers and snowboarders go year after year, then start planning your trip to the land of the rising sun and make your ski dreams to come true.

New chalets and hotels for the coming winter season

With so many new chalets and hotels popping up in various European resorts just in time for the coming season, we decided to give you a low down on our top 5 new places to stay on your next ski holiday. Whether it’s all inclusive, catered chalets or half-board you’re after, there are plenty of new accommodations that are bound to catch your eye.

The location of the Sunstar Alpine Hotel offers you access to a large linked ski area, with plenty of runs available for all abilities. The hotel boasts one-hundred and six bedrooms and is half-board, providing delicious buffet breakfasts, a five course evening meal and regular themed evenings, complete with a themed menu to match. The hotel lies in a quiet area of the resort, overlooking the forest and Untersee Lake, with the main village area just a few minutes walk away. Ski lifts are located an eight minute walk away and there is a free hotel shuttle bus and a free resort bus on hand to shorten your journey. Guests at the hotel will benefit from free wi-fi, ski storage with boot heating, a bar and a smokers lounge. After a long hard day out on the slopes, relax at the wellness centre with the indoor pool, steam room, sauna and fitness activities, plus massage, spa and beauty treatments. There is also table tennis, badminton, tennis and bowling available onsite. For those who are bringing children who are too young to ski, there is a non-ski kindergarten open six days a week.

The much loved and snowsure resort of Ischgl now welcomes Chalet Belmonte to the family - a large catered chalet, which sleeps up to forty-three guests. All rooms are ensuite and offer their own balcony or terrace area. The chalet is ideal for couples and groups, although cots can be set up in a number of the rooms if requested. The main lift is situated just a five minute walk away and the bars and restaurants just three minutes on foot. At breakfast, guests will be offered a choice of continental and cooked options and will also be provided with afternoon tea, a five course evening meal and a selection of complimentary wines. The onsite bar is a great place to wind down before your evening meal, with much deserved pre-dinner aperitifs and canapés on offer. As well as on-site ski boot storage, guests will also find a steam room, sauna and an infra-red cabin to soothe tired muscles after a hard day out on the mountain.

With a huge skiing area and a fantastic snow record, Tignes provides the backdrop to this brand new catered chalet, which sleeps up to nine people across four ensuite bedrooms. The chalet is ideal for families and groups and features a spacious living area with stunning views across the Grade Motte Glacier. The chalet also offers wi-fi access and handy ski lockers for storing your gear overnight. Located just twenty-five metres away from the lively bars and restaurants of Tignes Le Lac, this new chalet offers an ideal location for a ski holiday, with everything you need right on the doorstep. The Rossett lift is situated fifty metres from the front door and the Toviere lift just one-hundred metres, putting you in prime position to be one of the first up the mountain.

The well-known and popular Club Med resort has opened up a new luxurious hotel, this time located in the wonderful Val Thorens. The hotel features a contemporary design which uses spacious and light interiors, complete with floor to ceiling windows to offer guests stunning mountain views throughout. The hotel is all inclusive with a variety of flexible dining options available, including takeaway packed lunches and snacks so that you can make the most of your time on the slopes. You’ll also find bars serving complimentary drinks and a host of evening entertainment, including a nightclub. Also included in the package are free ski and snowboard lessons, access to snowsports such as tobogganing, plus a climbing wall, a fitness centre and a spa. All rooms in Val Thorens Sensations are ensuite and you can choose from a club room, deluxe room or suite. On top of this, ninety-percent of the rooms offer picturesque mountain views.

Chalet Kenai is located right in the heart of Morzine, on the main high street, providing great access to the lively bars and tasty restaurants situated throughout the resort. The chalet sleeps six people and features ensuite rooms located towards the back of the building, away from the hustle and bustle of the main street. The main lift is only one-hundred metres away and the nursery slopes just three-hundred metres. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted with welcome champagne and canapés, plus wake-up drinks through the duration of their stay. The chalet offers wi-fi access, a ski boot room complete with boot warmers and a selection of massage and beauty treatments. The chalet has a great heated balcony area where you can relax with a drink, put your feet up and enjoy a spot of people watching over the main street.

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